"We mustn’t dwell. No, not today. We can’t. Not on Rex Manning Day!"
If you can hear those words in a high-pitched, slightly frantic teenage squeak, you’ve probably spent a good portion of your life obsessed with a mid-90s box office bomb that somehow became the gospel for every misfit who ever wanted to work in a record store. Empire Records Ethan Embry is a pairing that shouldn't have worked on paper. You had a 16-year-old kid—then credited as Ethan Randall—playing a hyperactive, GWAR-obsessed stoner-lite character in a movie that critics absolutely loathed.
The critics were wrong. History, and a million midnight screenings, proved that.
The Chaos of Being Mark
Honestly, Ethan Embry’s performance as Mark is basically a masterclass in "controlled "acting like you've had four espressos and a questionable brownie." Mark wasn't the romantic lead (that was A.J.) or the brooding philosopher (that was Lucas). He was the kid who was just happy to be there.
But here’s the thing people forget: Embry was actually 16 during filming. While the rest of the cast—Liv Tyler, Renée Zellweger, Robin Tunney—were technically adults or close to it, Embry was the actual kid of the group. Recently, at 90s Con in early 2025, Embry dropped a bit of a bombshell that puts his performance in a whole new light. He admitted he was "taking so much acid" during the three months they spent filming in Wilmington, North Carolina.
Suddenly, that scene where he hallucinates being eaten by the GWAR "World Maggot" feels a lot more... authentic.
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What Really Happened in Wilmington
The production was essentially a summer camp for future movie stars. The studio rented out a row of houses on the beach for the cast. Imagine being 16, living on a beach with Renée Zellweger and Liv Tyler, and your only "job" is to pretend to work at a record store.
It wasn't all just beach bonfires and music, though. Embry and his co-star James Wills (who played the shoplifter Eddie) actually got arrested during filming. They were messing around in a Walmart parking lot with a cap gun. The local news ran it as "Child Actor Goes Crazy," and Embry ended up having to do community service. It’s a detail that feels like it could have been written into the script for Mark.
Why Empire Records Ethan Embry Still Matters in 2026
It’s been over 30 years since the film hit theaters and made a measly $300,000. So why are we still talking about it?
It’s the vibe. The movie captures a very specific, pre-digital "third space." The record store was the only place you could go to find out who you were. Embry’s character, Mark, represents the pure, unadulterated joy of fandom. He doesn’t care about being cool. He wants to start a band. He wants to meet Rex Manning even though Rex is a washed-up hack. He just loves stuff.
The GWAR Connection
The "World Maggot" scene is the stuff of legend. For those who haven't seen it lately, Mark eats a pot brownie (given to him by Eddie) and ends up inside the TV, playing guitar with the shock-rock band GWAR.
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- The World Maggot: It actually ate him.
- The Beef: For years, Embry joked on Twitter about having a "score to settle" with the band.
- The Resolution: In 2019, they finally "settled" it at Riot Fest. GWAR "spit him back out" on stage.
It's those kinds of weird, meta-narratives that keep the Empire Records Ethan Embry legacy alive. He didn't just play a character; he became a vessel for the weirdness of the 90s.
The Career Pivot: From Mark to "The Bass Player"
After the movie flopped, Embry didn't disappear. He actually went on one of the most underrated runs of any 90s actor. He jumped straight into That Thing You Do! (as "The Bass Player") and then Vegas Vacation as the iconic Rusty Griswold.
Interestingly, Embry was credited as Ethan Randall for the first 17 years of his career. He eventually changed it to Embry—his grandfather’s biological last name—as a tribute. He’s been incredibly open about the struggles of being a child star, including his past issues with substance abuse and the pressure of being a "teen heartthrob."
When you watch him now in things like Grace and Frankie or the horror hit The Devil’s Candy, you see a guy who has survived the "World Maggot" of Hollywood. He’s not the scrawny kid anymore, but that manic energy is still there under the surface.
Why "Rex Manning Day" is a Real Holiday
Every April 8th, social media lights up with #RexManningDay. It’s the day the fictional pop star came to the store in the movie. Fans host parties, wear plaid skirts, and—mostly—post GIFs of Ethan Embry shouting "Not on Rex Manning Day!"
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It’s a testament to the fact that some movies are just too "human" to fail. The movie was "cynically assembled" according to some critics, meant to capitalize on grunge culture. But the cast was so good, and Embry was so genuinely bizarre as Mark, that they breathed real life into it.
They weren't just "rough photocopies" of tropes. They were kids who lived on a beach together for three months, got arrested together, and made a movie that nobody watched until ten years later.
If You're Planning a Rewatch
If you want to experience the peak of the Empire Records Ethan Embry era, you need to track down the "Remix: Special Fan Edition" DVD or the unrated cut. It adds about 17 minutes of footage that actually fleshes out Mark’s subplot. You see more of his band auditions and his general chaotic energy.
Next Steps for the Ultimate Fan:
- Visit the Location: If you find yourself in Wilmington, NC, head to 15 S. Front Street. It’s now a bar/restaurant called Rebellion NC, but the exterior is unmistakable.
- Check the Credits: Watch That Thing You Do! right after. It’s a fascinating contrast to see Embry play the "responsible" one (mostly) after the chaos of Mark.
- The GWAR Rabbit Hole: Look up the live footage of Embry reuniting with GWAR at Riot Fest. It is the closure you didn't know you needed.
The reality is that Empire Records Ethan Embry wasn't just a role. It was a time stamp. It was the last gasp of a world where you had to go to a store to find your tribe. And Mark? He was the kid holding the door open for all of us.